Saturday, January 05, 2008

Great Storytelling: Planet Hulk

The last few days I decided to go back and re-read the Planet Hulk saga. It is one of those rare stories that is even better the second time around. Writer Greg Pak truly created a fantastic adventure in this story. The characters are compelling, the storyline fascinating, and there was opportunity for the Hulk to expand his horizons, so to speak.

After a year of hating what Marvel has done, especially Civil War and One More Day, it is a breath of fresh air to be able to read a tale that wasn't driven by the incessant need to reboot or retcon the players involved. This is what I was craving as a reader. It is an original, thoughful story that is worth the price of admission.

If you didn't read Planet Hulk prior to diving into World War Hulk, I would recommend picking it up. Amazon.com has the hardcover, and it is a gorgeous piece of literature.

It feels good to read a story that engages me without external interference. Reading Planet Hulk is a good way to escape while getting a rare glimpse into what the Hulk character can be without the burden of crossovers. Check it out- you won't regret it.

9 comments:

I might have to check this out. Always up for some good storytelling. I think I read a couple issues of the World War Hulk, but as I don't follow every title / character they were covering, I wasn't quite sure how it all fit, although I liked the MSG gladiator arena.

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Eaglewing, this is truly good stuff. Read as a stand alone, it works for me. After this read-through I think I would have been happy with just the self contained tale being told. At first glance, I didn't think it was my bag, but the excellent storytelling won me over. I am a believer!

Swinebread, it is interesting that you bring that up. I was very impressed with Aaron Lopresti's artwork on the Planet Hulk storyline. It reminded me of the old stuff as well. Between Lopresti's work here and John Romita Jr.'s on WWH, I was a happy camper.

After a really mixed year, Planet Hulk still feels like a breath of fresh air.

I checked this volume out from the library and enjoyed it quite a bit. A good, solid story from start to finish...which was exactly what the Hulk character needed after all those years of Bruce Jones' incoherent X-files rip-offs.